


And Just Like That

by PlatypussGirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Biphobia, Cancer, Death, F/M, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, MCD, Sick Dean Winchester, Suicidal Tendencies, Terminal Illnesses, weatherman!Castiel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-07 12:33:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7715095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlatypussGirl/pseuds/PlatypussGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>PUT ON HOLD FOR NOW</p>
<p>Dean's life is dominated by pills, doctors, hospital visits and his over-caring brother, Sam. When the doctor tells him that he only has a couple more months to live, Dean decides to take a break from it all and spend what little time he has left in a beach cottage on Crane Beach, Massachusetts.<br/>Everything is going okay, as far as okay goes in Dean's case.<br/>Until he meets Castiel...</p>
<p> PUT ON HOLD FOR NOW</p>
<p>This is a fan fiction for masochists</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To Crane Beach

**Author's Note:**

> Hello people of AO3!
> 
> It's been a while but I'm back with a brand new story.  
> If you just happened to have ignored the Archive Warnings and Summary... Either take a look before you start reading or just don't. All I want to say is that this particular Destiel fan fiction is for emotional masochists, "you may in fact get wet on this ride".  
> Having said that, sit back, have a cup of tea (or coffee, idc) and eh, enjoy! I guess.
> 
> Also special thanks to SpaceCommander, my awesome friend and editor <3 (who also writes by the way, so check it out)

Late September

 

“Dean, are you sure you got everything you need?” Sam asked for about the hundredth time as he leaned against the car door in an attempt to keep his brother from leaving just a second longer.  
Dean rolled his eyes and sighed. “Sammy, I’m telling you, I got everything. I went through that damned checklist of yours a thousand times. Can I please go now?”  
“You packed your emergency meds too?”  
Dean carelessly fished the small white bag out of the duffel he had slung over his shoulder and dangled it back and forth in front of Sam’s face. 

His worry was seriously starting to get on Dean’s nerves and he just wanted to leave already. They had spent the last three weeks planning this trip and there wasn’t anything that could go wrong; Dean had all the phone numbers he could possibly need and more, he had promised to call or text Sam twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, there was enough money set aside for Sam to fly out and get him in case of an emergency.

Sam swatted Dean’s hand away and took a deep breath, he bit his lip before letting it pop out into a quivering pout. It hit Dean like a brick. 

“Oh no, none of that crap! You promised me, Sam. Just keep it cool a little bit longer. I’ll be back. You’ve got Jess to look after, especially now.” Dean said softly and stuffed the little white bag back into his duffel. He looked up at his brother and shook his head with a barely-there, lopsided smile before he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. “I’ll be fine, Sam. I have everything I need. I know how to take care of myself.”

Sam just absorbed the embrace and for a moment Dean thought that Sam was going to crush every bone in his body.

“Sammy-...” Dean gasped. “I need- Oxygen… Stahp!” He tapped out on Sam’s shoulder and he was finally released and put back on the ground. “Thank you!” He huffed out and chuckled, trying to ignore the hopeless look on Sam’s face. “Now, where the hell are my keys?”

“Already in the ignition.” Sam said softly and at last stepped away from the door to let Dean in. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

Dean nodded and winked. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Well…” Sam started, but Dean shook his head. “Don’t jinx it, Sam. We can’t afford it. Now do me a favor, go out with some friends and have a drink on me, alright? I’ll call you when I turn in for the night.”

“Fine, but don’t be a dumb ass. Find yourself some nice motel, just for the night. Don’t sleep in the car.”

“Jesus, dude! I thought this was my holiday, not yours. Fuck you, I do what I want!” Dean chuckled and playfully punched Sam’s shoulder. “Samuel, it’s been an honor.” Dean opened the door and threw his bag in, shoving it onto the passenger seat before hopping in himself and closing the door. He rolled down the window of his ‘67 Chevy Impala and started the engine, Pink Floyd blasted through the speakers when his baby started purring.

“Crane Beach, here I come.” 

 

Dean had only left Lawrence about an hour ago and already his phone started to ring. Dean turned the volume of the radio down, he accepted the call without looking and put it on handsfree. “Sammy boy, please don’t tell me I left my inhaler!” He mocked. “I can’t get through summer camp without that thing. Fuck, did you even pack my teddy for me?!”  
On the other side of the phone was soft giggling from Jessica in the background and the distinctive groaning of Sam. “Shut up, Dean. I just wanted to let you know I booked you a room in Chicago, just for tonight. Please just take it. I’m texting you the details in a minute.”

“Dammit, Sam-”

“No, Dean. You’re gonna go to that hotel and stay the night. Your energy levels aren’t what they used to be, there’s no point in denying that. And I checked, there’s a bar down the street and a massage salon two blocks down the road. You’ll lo-”

“Whoah, hold up. A massage salon? What the heck do I need that for?”

“For… You know… Stiff muscles and stuff.” Dean could hear the suggestiveness drip from Sam’s voice. He imagined his brother was smirking and wiggling his eyebrows as he said it.

Dean sighed. “Yeah, right… Stuff.” He echoed his brother.

“Dean, please just take the room. It’s already been paid for, it’s one less thing to worry about.”

Dean took a deep breath and stared at the road ahead for a while. “Fine.” He breathed. “But stop riding my ass after this one. The point of this trip is about getting away from everything. Including your whining and over-caring, jeez. I was supposed to be the mother hen, remember? Not you.”

“Yeah, I remember. You’re welcome, by the way.” Sam chuckled.

“Yeah yeah… Thank you, Sammy. I’ll call you tonight.”

“And don’t forget to-” 

Dean hung up before Sam could bitch about anything else. That could wait until tonight. For now it was just him, his car and the dull sound of the road underneath her spinning tires.

 

He let the Impala roll down the interstate through Missouri and stopped in Springfield to refuel his baby and get some coffee for the road. He took his pills with a cheap ham sandwich and bought some magazines, because… He needed them… For reasons, of course. And after a short break of flirting with the pretty blonde who was desperately trying to get a freshly spilled milkshake out of her front seat (he told her that baby wipes were magical when it came to remove tricky stains), and breathing in the sweet air of freedom, of some sort, he got back behind the wheel and drove the last couple hours to the hotel in Chicago that Sam had booked for him last minute.

The hotel, as Sam said, had been a bargain. Dean didn’t believe him. The place was fucking huge and so damn fancy that Dean felt completely out of place wearing his most comfortable, worn out jeans, ACDC T-shirt and old combat boots. He hated leaving his car to a stranger for the valet parking, but for just this once he went with it. He was tired too from the long day on the road and he needed a drink. As soon as the bellhop helped him carrying his one duffel bag to his room he crashed down on the double bed and stayed there for a while before dragging himself to the minibar. It was a little after 10 in the evening, but he needed something extra to just relax. The next day he was going to drive for fifteen hours straight, so he decided that he’d take the one shot of chilled Jack that was available, take a long bath and go to bed before midnight. 

His head had barely hit the pillow when he realized he had to call Sam first. Dean groaned and rolled over to his side to pick his phone off the nightstand and hit speed dial. The phone only rang twice before he heard Sam’s voice on the other side.

“Hey, Dean. How was day one of your big adventure?” He said with an audible smile.

Dean let out a soft breath and closed his eyes and he relaxed into the mattress. “Not too bad, it was mostly driving, nothing too intense or exciting. I took my pills like a good boy and I’m in bed now.”

“That sounds pretty relaxing actually, I hope you’re having a good time. Listen, I forgot to mention that breakfast isn’t included…”

“Yeah, I figured that out when I checked in. It’s not a big deal, though. There are plenty of little restaurants around I’m sure I’ll find something to eat, so don’t worry about it.”

“You know I could-”

“Sam…” Dean said in a somewhat threatening tone. “Don’t forget why I wanted to go on this extended vacation.”

Sam was quiet for a second. “Okay, yeah… I’m sorry. I should just let you-”

“Exactly. I can take care of myself. So for the love of Pete, quit worrying! I can do this, it’s just breakfast! If I need anything I’ll let you know, we talked about this.” Dean rattled. “Please, Sam.”

“Okay, okay… I’ll drop it now. Just… Call me in the morning, okay?”

“I will, Sammy. Try to stop worrying so much, it’s not gonna help anybody and it’s not good for your blood pressure. Don’t be a little bitch, okay?”

“Jerk.”

Dean smirked. “That’s the sasquatch I know. Give Jess a kiss from me, will ya? I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“I will. Goodnight, Dean.”

“G’night, Sammy.”

-click-

Dean put his phone down and flicked the light off. He drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

 

Dean woke up the next morning with that familiar pain in his joints and muscles. He looked at the digital alarm clock on the nightstand, 8 am. Way too fucking early to be awake, but he was in too much pain to try and go to sleep again so he decided to just take his pills and get the day started. He took a quick shower and brushed his teeth, slipped into a fresh T-shirt and the same pair of jeans he wore the day before.

“Good morning Chicago.” He muttered to himself as he stared out the window of his hotelroom. The streets below were already packed with the usual rush hour. There was no way he was going to be able to drive out in his car and get breakfast before his blood sugar dropped dangerously low, and not that money was an issue, but roomservice was expensive, he could better save the cash he had and get some waffles. He didn’t want to walk, though. His knees were still sore, but he didn’t really have a choice.

He quickly sent Sam a text that he was okay, he wasn’t in the mood for talking. His brother would just have to suck it up for now.

He slipped into his black leather jacket and took the elevator downstairs. He stopped by the reception.

“Good morning, sir. How can I be of your assistance today.” The male receptionist said blankly.

Dean raised an eyebrow at the posh accent and cleared his throat. “Well, I was just wondering if there’s a place nearby where I can grab something to eat. Waffles maybe? Anything breakfast related would be okay.”

“Of course, there’s plenty of little cafés that serve breakfast around here. I would recommend the one at the end of the street called Murphey’s, if you’re looking for a simple breakfast, that’s the place to be.” The way he used the word ‘simple’ was almost degrading and Dean could already feel his patience starting to wear thin. He wasn’t going to let this snob ruin his day.

“Thank you so very much. A simple breakfast is exactly what I’m looking for. Now would you mind telling me exactly what end of the street I need to head for to get my hands on something affordable?” Dean said bluntly and stared at the receptionist with a death glare.

The man gulped and nodded quickly. “On the right when you leave the hotel, sir. Anything else I can help you with?”

“No, that’d be it. Have a nice day.” He muttered and jerked around to march outside. “Asshole.” Dean murmured under his breath as he walked outside.

Alright, Dean. Deep breaths, that moron isn’t worth it. Just get your food and gtfo, it’s the best for everyone that you get to Massachusetts as soon as possible, nothing else to worry about.

Dean got his breakfast to go and took it back to his hotelroom, that asshole from reception had send him to a shit hole. Yeah, it was cheap, but that batter that had been used for the waffles must’ve been old or something. It just didn’t taste right so he threw half of it away. He wasn’t hungry anymore anyway, he’d just eat a granola bar on the road. Dean didn’t want to waste any more time, he had miles to beat. If he’d leave now he’d be in Crane Beach just before midnight.  
Sam would kick his ass for not taking a nap or booking another damn room, but this wasn’t just a road trip. Traveling was getting more and more tiring so he figured he’d better just get it over with. Once he’d arrive at the cottage he would have a couple days to just relax and regain his energy.

He picked up his car from the valet parking and hit the road. Dean bought a coffee and some cookies at a Dunkin’ drive through and took his meds before he got back on the interstate. He stopped in Cleveland and Syracuse for a quick pitstop to take a piss, refuel and buy some late lunch and more coffee.  
He even stopped around 7 pm to admire the sunset and stretch his limbs before continuing his journey to the east coast. He shot a quick text to Sam with a selfie of him smiling next to the car to ease his brother’s mind, assuring him he’d taken all his pills that day and quickly took the ones he had accidentally forgotten. The trick with pain killers is to take them before you need them, and since that’s pretty much unpredictable he had to take them two to three times a day. 

Night time was Dean’s favorite time of the day to drive. There was just him, his baby, his music and the far stretch of empty road ahead of him. Nobody else to take into account and in this case, he was completely alone and probably would be for quite some time.

It was a little after midnight when Dean arrived at the cottage he was renting. It took him some time before he actually found the place, it was hidden somewhere in the dunes and it was dark, so damn dark. There weren’t any streetlights, because who the hell would drive around here in the middle of the night to begin with? Dean took a mental note about not staying out too late, especially since fall really started to kick in and the days would only become shorter and shorter, which wasn’t really a problem to be honest. Dean liked the night. Everything would be dark and now he would be completely alone, nobody to tell him what to do… Except for Sam every morning and evening, but he wouldn’t be there to actually physically pester him with his worrying, over-caring ass, which was nice for a change.

Dean had no idea where exactly he was when he parked the car, but with the headlights of the car on he was able to see the roof of the cottage sticking out over a particularly low dune. He grabbed his torchlight out of the glove compartment, cut off the engine and picked up his duffel from the passenger seat, swinging it over his shoulder with a small groan when he realized that he had forgotten to take his meds again. Sam would be thrilled… Sam!

“Shit.” Dean hissed. He had forgotten to call Sam, usually Sam would’ve tried to call him by now. Dean put the bag back on the passenger seat and fished his phone out of the inner pocket of his leather jacket. He pushed the button on the side to activate the screen but… Nothing happened. Dean groaned at himself and rested his head on the top of the wheel, the battery had died. And knowing Sam, he was already on a plane on his way to Massachusetts, because really, that’s what he would do. And if he was still in Lawrence, he was gonna be pissed.

Dean figured he’d better just get inside so he could charge his phone and tell Sam that, no, he wasn’t dead, yes, he was completely fine, no, he didn’t stop earlier because he was so close already he might’ve just driven the last couple hours.  
So that’s what he did. He grabbed his bag and the torch and left the car, taking a deep breath of fresh ocean air. Dean made sure to lock the car before he tried to find the path that led to the cottage, he refused to get sand in his loosely tied boots on day- I mean night one.

It didn’t take him too long to him the cottage, it was bigger than he thought it would be. It was all one floor (he didn’t want to walk any stairs before being able to get into bed, especially on a bad day), with a raised porch surrounding the whole thing. It would probably give him a spectacular view of the beach and the sunrise, at least that was what the advert had promised him.

Dean shone the torch over the front of the building, the green horizontal paneling was sickly pale, paint starting to scale off and the windows looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in a while. The whole thing actually looked kinda eerie with the cobwebs hanging in the corners of the porch and the little lamps that were supposed to be lighting up the front door. Dean could only hope for the best.  
He climbed onto the porch and opened the mailbox, where Gabriel had promised him the keys would be. He tried not to think of what else could be hiding in there. Luckily it really only was a set of keys and an envelope, probably with some more information about the cottage. He took the keys and envelope out and closed the mailbox again before fumbling with the keys, there was a low-key thrumming of anticipation in his chest. What was this place gonna look like? He hoped the outside wasn’t an omen of the state on the inside.

Dean unlocked the front door and used the torch to find the light switches and flipped them on. It took a while for the lamps to flicker to life but when they did the room was bathed in warm glowing light, illuminating the kitchenette with breakfast bar on his left and the big living room that stretched out further to the back. There was a big, brown leather couch with a somewhat matching recliner that faced the far left corner of the room where big windows from the floor to the ceiling would offer him a view over the back porch and the beach by daylight.  
There was a small coffee table with a miniature model of what seemed to be a whaling ship and there were paintings on the vanilla colored walls of beach sceneries, dunes, seagulls and a lighthouse.  
And to Dean’s surprise everything seemed to be pretty clean too, of course it was a bit dusty, but apart from that he was lucky.

But first things first, he had to call Sam. Dean dropped his duffel on top of the breakfast bar and zipped it open, he dug through his stuff until he had found his charger and plugged it into the first socket he could find, quickly connecting his phone.

“C’mon c’mon c’moooon!” Dean muttered impatiently, waiting for the screen to light up and start charging already. Dean heaved a sigh of relief when it did.

6 missed calls, 20 unread messages. “Uh oh… Not good.” Dean quickly dialed his brother’s number and called.

“Dean, are you okay? What happened? Why didn’t you call?” Sam practically shouted as soon as he picked up.

“Calm down, Sammy. My phone died while I was driving, I’m sorry I didn’t notice.”

“What took you so long to charge it?! Didn’t you stop for the night?!”

“No, Sam. I’m at Crane Beach now, I was so close I didn’t want to waste more money than necessary. The phone is charging now, I’m completely fine. Just a little worn out from the long drive, nothing to worry about so calm your tits.”

“Dean I thought you-”

“But I’m not! I’m okay. Please don’t talk like that, you know how it makes me feel! I’m gonna take my pills and go to bed. I’ll call you again in the morning.”

There was a looming silence over the phone and Dean braced himself for another outburst.  
“You didn’t take your meds?” Sam sounded like he was about to explode.

“I’m gonna take them right now. Please, Sam, I’m tired, don’t give me more shit.”

“Fine.” Sam said curtly.

“Thank you. Goodnight, Sammy.”

-beep beep beep-

Sam had already hung up. Dean didn’t blame him. 

He left his phone on the kitchen counter to charge overnight and dragged his duffel off the breakfast bar to take it to the bedroom, which was on the right of the front door. He swung the door open and walked into the room.  
It was a bit smaller than his room back in Kansas, but big enough for him to be comfortable. There was a double bed with the headboard against the wall on the left, a low dresser with a mirror hanging above it and on the right there was a small fireplace. If he stayed here long enough he might actually need it. 

Dean drew the curtains and went back to the kitchenette to take his pills for the night. He quickly brushed his teeth in the tiny but cozy bathroom and took a piss before changing into his pajamas. He checked his phone one more time, set his alarm so he wouldn’t forget his meds in the morning and cranked up the heat of the radiator a little bit so his balls wouldn’t freeze off during the night. And then he finally turned in.  
He took off his socks and dropped them on the pile of clothes next to the bed and crawled under the covers, soon enough he discovered he should’ve brought his own pillow instead. This one seemed thick and fluffy and first, but as soon as he put his head down it sank in like a bad soufflé. He was going to Ipswich the following day anyway to buy groceries, might as well look for a new pillow… And maybe some extra blankets since the heating didn’t seem to be working, or maybe it needed some time to warm up?  
Dean was too tired to give a fuck so he rolled over to his other side and fell asleep to the sound of the ocean wind making the roof creak softly.


	2. The Weatherman

Dean woke up to the soft sound of waves crashing into the shoreline and the dull screeching of seagulls in the distance. Without opening his eyes he turned to his other side, away from the pale sunlight that casted on his face through the crack between the curtains where they hadn’t been closed well enough. It was cold, why the hell was it cold? He turned on the heating last night, it was supposed to be comfy and warm.

He shivered as he pulled the covers off his body and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. This was not how he imagined his first day to start.

Shivers ran down his spine when he lowered his feet on the chilly wooden floor.  
Dean made some more mental notes.

-Call Gabriel about the heating

-New pillow

-More blankets

-Maybe a pair of fuzzy slippers

But first he had to take his pills. There was that familiar ache in his stomach and before he’d take his pain killers there was no way he could even get an energy bar down his throat. Then there was the soreness of his stiff muscles and the everlasting fatigue, but he had to keep going, had to stay active.

Exercise would keep the flow of oxygen to his limbs steady, keep his mind sharp, or at least that’s what the doctor had told him. Maybe he’d take a walk on the beach later if there weren’t too many people.

Dean pulled the duvet off the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders like a cloak to block out the chill of the house and pulled on a fresh pair of socks before dragging himself to the kitchenette where he had left his phone on the charger and his bag with regular medication. After downing his pills and vitamin cocktail with a glass of water he went to the bathroom to make sure if there was something wrong with the boiler or not. But after 5 minutes of waiting Dean discovered that, to his disappointment, the water was still running ice cold. With a displeased frown he went back to the kitchenette and checked his phone. He had four unread messages, one from Sam and three from Jessica. He decided to check Sam’s first.

_8:19 am_

_Hey Dean, I hope you had a good night sleep. Uhm, can you do me a favor and tell my wife to take a step back in our prank war? Thanks in advance._

Dean raised an eyebrow. Jessica pranking Sam wasn’t exactly new, they did the cute little things that married couples do sometimes and he wondered what Jessica had pulled on his little brother this time, so he opened the message that Jess had sent him a little earlier in the morning.

_7:56am_

_Could you tell me if this too much?_

Dean opened the little file that was attached and couldn’t help but snort a little bit with laughter. It was a picture of Jessica’s swollen, 5 months pregnant belly, covered in fake blood with a plastic chest-burster from the movie Alien glued in the middle. She had made the effort to splash some blood in her face for an even more dramatic effect.

He already knew it was too much from reading Sam’s text, but even if Dean hadn’t known he would’ve given her a big thumbs up because this prank was brilliant.

_8:05am_

_Screw this, I’m going in. Wish me luck!_

_8:15am_

_I think I’m gonna be a single mom, Dean-o xD Your brother wasn’t impressed. LOL!_

It was only 8:52am, meaning Dean’s alarm would’ve gone off in about 8 minutes anyway. And since Sam and Jessica were clearly already awake he decided to give his baby brother a call while he slowly chewed on an energy bar and boiled water for a cup of tea.

It didn’t take long for Sam to pick up.

“Samuel! Top ‘o the mornin’ to ya!” Dean said with a smirk and an awful Irish accent.

Sam sighed. “Sounds like you had a good night sleep.”

“Meh, not particularly. But I _did_ wake up to what is possibly the best prank I’ve ever had the honor to have witnessed!” He chuckled and took a tiny bite from the energy bar, pulling a face when his stomach started to protest against the taste. “You should tell Jess to film your reaction next time. I would’ve loved to see the look on your face!”

“It wasn’t funny, Dean! I woke up to an empty spot in the bed, the sound of Jess whimpering in the bathroom and suddenly she just starts _screaming_ and I-... Are you seriously laughing?”

Dean took a deep breath and tried to straighten his face. “How the hell could I _not_?! That’s brilliant! Jess sent me a picture, my god. Those special effects were spot on!”

“And you didn’t tell her not to do it?! You know how much that movie scared the shit out of me!”  
  
“I wasn’t awake yet when she sent it to me! And come on, Sammy, you were 6 years old!”

“Jess was _screaming!_ I thought something was wrong. Come on, Dean. I’m already worried enough about you, that was just too much!”

Dean put down the energy bar, his stomach was clearly not ready for solid food yet. “I _know_ , I know. But you have to admit that was pretty awesome!”

“He screamed like a little girl!” Jess shouted in the background, making Dean snicker even more.

Sam groaned. “Anyway, what are you gonna do today? Any big plans?” The attempt to change the subject was almost cute, Dean wanted to pester his brother just a bit more, but he decided to just go with it.

“Nothing special. I’m gonna go on a little supply run. I need some food, also another pillow, extra blankets and stuff. I think the boiler is broken so I’m gonna have to call that Gabriel guy to come and fix it. I was freezing when I woke up.”  
  
“Oh shit, I hope you don’t catch a cold.” There was that worried little voice again that Dean hated so much.

"Nah, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m gonna make myself some chicken soup tonight, extra veggies like the doctor said.”

“Oooh, sounds good! How’s the cottage by the way? Anything like the pictures?”

Dean shrugged and looked around the room before he turned around to take the kettle off the stove and rummage around in the overhead cupboards for a mug. “They’re a little outdated, but I can’t complain. The view is nice, the bed’s comfortable. Just a shame that I can’t take a shower. Maybe I’ll boil some more water and take a bath if it doesn’t get fixed in time.”

“Dude, you shouldn’t do that. If you wanted to go primitive we would’ve put you in a tent in the backyard, we could’ve made you a blanket fort under the dining table!”

Dean blew a raspberry and rolled his eyes. “No need to exaggerate! I’m sure Gabriel can come by or send a plumber or something.” Dean’s lips curled into a smirk again. “I’ll sit on the kitchen counter in my tightest underwear and tell them I don’t have any money. Maybe I can get some more out of this.”

Sam was quiet for a moment. “So... You’re just gonna assume the plumber is female?”

Dean gulped. “Uhm, yeah? There must be some hot female plumbers out there. Don’t be a sexist, Sam! Jobs like that aren’t gender specific!” _Nice save, Dean…_

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Dean.” Sam said dryly. “Anyway… I’m gonna try to save my marriage, you’re gonna buy groceries and call Gabriel.”

“Wow, really?”

“What?”

“For a moment I thought you were gonna fly your ass over here and fix it _for_ me, you’re making progress! Bravo! If I wasn’t making tea _and_ holding the phone I’d applaud you.”

“Jerk.”

"Bitch.” Dean said with an enormous smirk. “I’ll talk to you later, moose.”

"Yeah yeah… Bye, Dean.”

Dean put his phone back on the kitchen countertop and went into the bedroom to get his little box with tea bags. He never really liked tea, Dean was a coffee person, especially in the morning, but his stomach couldn’t handle too much before the pills started working. Tea always soothed the pain a little bit, giving him a bit of filling without making him nauseous.

He plunged one of the bags in the mug with steaming hot water and let it sit there while he dialed Gabriel’s number he had found in the little envelope and swirled the tea bag around in the mug as he waited for him pick up.

“Hello?” Gabriel answered finally.

“Hey, Gabriel. It’s Dean Winchester, the guy who rented the-”

“Of course, Michael’s old buddy! How’s it going, everything alright out there?” Gabriel rattled before Dean even had the chance to finish talking.

“Uhm… I’m fine. It’s just that the boiler doesn’t seem to be working. I turned up the radiator last night but I woke up freezing, and I can’t get hot water from the taps or shower. You think you could take a look at it? I’d do it myself but I-”

“Ahw, shit man. That sucks, I had no idea it wasn’t working. Listen, I can’t come over, I’m on my way to a family meeting. Lemme think, uh... Yes! I got it, I’ll send my brother over to check it out for you. No problem at all, I’ll make sure it gets fixed before tonight, alright?”

Dean frowned. “Wait, are you sending Michael all the way over here to get the boiler fixed?”

Gabriel laughed. “Nooo, Michael will be at the meeting too. I’m sending Castiel.”

“I never knew Michael had a second brother…” Dean muttered.

“Yeah, it’s a sensitive subject, little Cassie.”

Dean raised an eyebrow and let the tea bag sink into the mug again, abandoning it completely. “I don’t mean to pry, but why isn’t _he_ going to that… little family gathering of yours.”

Gabriel sighed. “Well, he’s light in the loafers. The family doesn’t really like that. I took him under my wing when things went south. Anyway, he’ll be there sometime this afternoon. Anything else I can help you with?”

_Loafers? What the hell?_ “Uhhh, no that’d be it. Thanks for the service man, I appreciate it. And good luck with that family meeting.”

“No problemo and gracias. If there’s anything else… I guess you could call me, but it’d be easier to get Cassie to fix it. I’ll tell him to give you his number when he comes by. Oh, and check out the little flyer I put in the envelope with the keys. There’s a bunch of info about the localities, fun stuff to do and such.”

“Oh sure, yeah. Thanks again. Have a nice day.”

“You too, Dean!”

Dean stared at his phone for a moment and shook his head, deciding that that was the last phone call of the day.

He drank his tea and, after some time, managed to completely devour his energy bar. He sent a quick text to Sam to let him know the boiler was being taken care of and got dressed to drive to Ipswich for groceries and at least a new pillow.

The ride to the nearest supermarket was only 12 minutes, which Dean was glad about. He loved driving his car, but being on the road for 2 days straight had worn him out so badly that he was surprised he was still on his feet. He decided to not hang around the supermarket for too long before heading back to the cottage.

To Dean’s surprise, the supermarket actually had everything he needed. There was even a small drugstore attached to the building, which was nice to know as well. He bought his food, his extra fruit and vegetables, some nice pieces of meat and he didn’t even have to go to another shop to get the blankets and a better pillow.

Dean was pretty much out of breath when he got back to the Impala and needed a moment to just sit down and rest before he started the car and began to drive back to the beach. He fucking _hated_ it. Sure, he was never a very active guy. You’d never see him get out of bed before dawn to go for a jog, but at least he still had energy. A simple supply run would definitely _not_ wear him out like this. But this was his life now. And it was only gonna get worse.

There was no way he was gonna take a walk on the beach after this. He just wanted to lie down and sleep, maybe take a nice hot bath to soothe his sore muscles, but the boiler was still broken and… Was this whole “enjoying his last days vacation” really such a good idea?

Back at home he had Sam and Jessica. A comfortable _warm_ bed, a _hot_ shower.

 

_But Sam and Jessica deserve a break too._

 

Dean sighed, this was only his first day at Crane Beach, better make the best of it; he still had plenty of time to change his mind and Sam would catch the first flight to Massachusetts so Dean didn’t have to drive all the way home himself. Maybe he could check out that little flyer thing in the envelope, there could be something fun nearby that wouldn’t suck up all his energy in a couple minutes.

Dean had put away the groceries and he thought it would be relaxing to just sit on the creaky porch swing at the back of the cottage with a cup of tea, watching the ocean, listening to the birds…

Maybe it was a bad idea to give his mind a rest.

The moment he closed his eyes he was back in the doctor’s office.

 

_Sammy? Why were there tears in his eyes? It wasn’t that bad, right? He didn’t pay attention for a minute, his head was somewhere else. Why is Sammy crying? He looked at the doctor, who stared back at him with a grim expression, worry in his eyes. He tried to play back what he just told him but the words were all one big blur._

_“Mr. Winchester, did you just hear what I said?”_

_Dean shook his head. “No, sorry… I didn’t, I-”_

_“I’m sorry, Dean. But this form of chemo was the last option and didn’t work the way we hoped it would. The latest scans show that…_

_There was the blur again, numbing the words. He could see the doctor was talking, his mouth was moving, but the syllables didn’t reach him anymore. He knew enough._

_“How long?”_

_The doctor took a deep breath. “We can’t be sure. It could be weeks, it could be a couple months.” He sighed and gulped. “I’m so sorry, I wish there was more we could do.”_

_When Sam opened his mouth to speak the words came out calm and measured, as if he had practiced for this moment._

 

_Aftermath: metastatic leukemia._

_What other organs were fucked up? It didn’t really matter. What mattered was that he was dying… Or did it?_

 

Dean didn’t mean to fall asleep. But it was sunny and the temperature was nice when he sat down; he had been so tired. Only the moment he opened his eyes his tea was cold, the sun had disappeared behind a thick layer of clouds and the wind was so chilly it made him shiver. Maybe he should’ve taken one of those soft blankets with him.

He checked his phone and discovered that it was nearly 2 pm and he had forgotten to take his pills... _again_. He took his time to get up and go inside. He went straight for the kitchenette to get his pills but was surprised to find them on the other side of the breakfast bar. Dean could swear he had left them on the-

“You must be Dean.” A gravelly voice coming from behind startled him. Dean jerked his body around and accidentally bumped his hip into the pointy edge of the breakfast bar. Usually he’d be annoyed because that hit was gonna give him a nice fat bruise for at least a week. But forget the fucking bruise because _why the hell_ was this stranger standing in front of the bathroom, _why the fuck_ was he soaking wet and had this _idiot_ really just touched his _pills?!_ Dean had too many questions and if he didn’t feel so damn tired all the time he’d knocked the guy out already.

Dean stared at him with a displeased frown scrunching up his face. The stranger’s dark hair was a complete mess, he had his blue tie tucked into his white button-up shirt that was covered in grey smudges and so soaked that Dean could see he wasn’t wearing an undershirt and-

“I’m G-Gabriel’s brother, I’m here for the boiler. I assumed you weren’t present so I le-”

“So you let yourself in, yeah that’s just great.” Dean grumbled.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” He apologized and carefully looked up at Dean with eyes that had the word guilty written all over them. Dean didn’t trust this guy one bit.

Dean sighed and snatched his little bag with medication from the countertop, taking out his painkillers and tapping himself a glass of water. Maybe if he ignored this Cas person he’d get back to fixing the boiler, or maybe he was already done and he’d _leave._ But when Dean downed his pills and turned around he was still standing there.

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Can I help you?” He said sarcastically.

“Well… Actually…” _Oh no._ “I could use some help.” He said carefully.

Dean took a deep breath, he had to be kidding, right? “ _Fine!_ What can I help you with, Cassie?”

The man’s face darkened a little bit. “Only Gabriel calls me that.” He mumbled.

Dean quickly counted to 10 and tried to stay calm. “Alright, what do I call you then?”

“Castiel.” _Oh yeah, that was his name._

“Okay, _Castiel_ , what’s the matter?”

Castiel gulped. “The boiler… You’re standing in front of it.”

Dean chuckled and stepped aside. “I know that.”

Castiel didn’t laugh, he averted his eyes to the wooden floor and suddenly looked so small and fragile that Dean almost forgot how annoyed he was with him.

“Why are you so wet?”

Castiel finally looked up and combed a hand through his hair in an attempt to fix it, but only really fucking it up even more. “I thought I’d check the water first, but the shower hose wasn’t secured to the head and it came off. It’s fixed now.”

_It’d better be…_ “Please tell me you brought an extra set of clothes, you can’t fix a boiler wearing your Sunday best.”

Castiel narrowed his eyes and tilted his head a little. “But it’s Thursday.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “My God.” He mumbled under his breath and walked to bedroom, he couldn’t help but feeling a little bit sorry for the guy. No wonder his family didn’t particularly like him, but shutting him out the way they did obviously didn’t fit the crime. Whatever he had done couldn’t be _that_  bad. Dean searched through his bag for an old T-shirt that Castiel could wear and silently promised himself he’d properly unpack his bag later.

 

When Dean walked back into the living space, Castiel had finally found his way to the boiler. He was just looking at it, occasionally trying to press some buttons but it didn’t really do anything.

 

Dean cleared his throat to get his attention and Castiel turned his head.

“I got you a dry shirt.” Dean said and tossed him the grey wad of clothing. Castiel caught it and looked at Dean as if he had been an enslaved house elf his entire life and ‘Master had given Dobby a shirt’.

Castiel opened his mouth to say something but Dean shushed him before any words came out. “Just put on the shirt and fix the boiler, okay?” Dean grumbled. “Please.”

Castiel took the hint and nodded. “Thanks.” He mumbled and started to untuck and loosen his tie.

This was supposed to be the moment Dean turned around and walked away to do whatever he was going to do, but… Dean had nothing on his to-do list and _oh my God_ Castiel was taking off his shirt!

_This would be a great time to just turn around and walk away, right? Maybe make another cup of tea. Yes, tea would be nice. But the kettle is right next to where this dude was taking off his wet shirt and fuck he is_ ripped!

When Castiel was done taking off his shirt and turned back to Dean he furrowed his brow. “Is there something wrong?” He even ducked his head an inch as if he was telling Dean ‘ _eyes are up here!’._

Dean shook his head. “No, of course not. I was just, uh… Thinking. Would you like some tea?”

Castiel’s face relaxed and he nodded. “Yes please, tea sounds lovely.” He said and pulled Dean’s shirt over his head. Great, no more distractions, right? But hell no! Where the shirt would fall loosely over Dean’s shoulders and chest it hugged Castiel in all the right places. And yes, it looked horrible with the pressed black dress pants, but even with the shirt on it was hard to look away.

“Right… Tea.” Dean said at last and walked passed Castiel to get the kettle, filling it up with water and putting on it on the stove. “I hope you like green tea, it’s all I have at the moment.”

“Green tea is just fine, thank you.” Castiel’s voices sounded a bit muffled as he was leaning into the cabinet with the boiler.

Dean was just pouring the hot water into mugs when there was a particularly loud sigh coming from Castiel. He leaned back from the boiler and fished his phone from his pocket. “Excuse me, I have to make a call.” Castiel said and left through the front door

Dean sighed. “Sure, no problem.” He said, wondering if the boiler was extremely broken or if Castiel simply had no idea how to fix the damn thing. He hoped for the second one. Nothing against Castiel, the guy seemed… Okay. That and _very_ well build, but it’d only mean that there was a bigger chance he could take a nice warm bath in the evening without too much trouble and wasting energy he barely had.

“No, Gabriel, I already told you I have no idea. If it really was that simple he could’ve fixed it himself. I’m calling a plumber… No, I don’t care-... Gabriel, please.”

Dean didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but he just couldn’t help himself. He kneeled and glanced into the cabinet, abandoning the mugs. Yes, he had looked in there a couple times, tried all the switches, but there it just wouldn’t turn on. Maybe there was something in the back, but it was too dark to see anything.

Dean already felt like he had been on his feet too long. He was still exhausted from the traveling _and_ the grocery shopping, but he didn’t let it stop him. Not this time.

Two years ago he could do anything, a tiny problem like fixing a boiler was done in a matter of maybe 30 minutes. Lately, when he was having a bad day, he’d be completely out of breath when he had climb the stairs.

And today, despite everything, he was having a good day.

“Fuck it.” Dean murmured and got his torch from the bedroom. There was no way to know if this was the last day he had this much energy, better use it and do something useful.  
He got back on his knees and switched the torch on to take a look in the dark corners of the cabinet.

 

“Dean, what are you doing?” Dean could hear from the creaking of the floor boards that Castiel was kneeling down next to him.

“It’s fine, I’ve got this.” Muttered, almost ready to gently push him out his personal space because this Cas-dude was getting _really_ close and Dean was already cramped up, nearly folding himself up to look in that damn corner and- And then he saw something. A wire coming from the boiler, going through the wall. Maybe the damn thing was just unplugged.

“Hey, Cas. Can you see that?” Dean said, still looking at the mysterious wire disappearing into the wall. Castiel didn’t respond. When Dean finally turned his head to look at him he was greeted by two icy blue eyes that glared daggers at him.

“What?”

“It’s Cas- _tiel_.” He said with a sigh. “And yes, I can see it.”

“Well? Where does it lead? Maybe it’s just unplugged or something?”

Castiel groaned and wiped a hand down his face. “You know what, it probably is. A while back Gabriel unplugged every device in this house to save energy, just in case. He probably forgot to plug this one back in. I’ll take a look.” Castiel grumbled and got back to his feet. “I’ll be right back.”

“Huh…” Dean mumbled. “You still want you tea?” He called after Castiel as he remembered the kettle with hot water on the stove, but Castiel didn’t answer. Dean didn’t even know where he had ran off to so fast. He stood back up, maybe a _little_ too fast.

The room started to spin around and he got so dizzy he couldn’t stand up straight. _Definitely_ too fast!

He reached out for the edge of the countertop but by the time his fingers touched the surface the floor was already dangerously close to his face.

 

“Dean, can you hear me?” Castiel’s voice rang through his head. “Dean! Can you open your eyes for me?”

Dean slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on his side on the couch and the first thing he saw was a pair of topaz blue eyes staring back at him.

“Cas?”

Castiel’s eyes softened a little bit. “There you are, you were gone for a little bit, you had me worried. What happened?”

Dean thought for a moment, the boiler, he was getting up and suddenly everything was black.

_I’m getting worse…_ “I must’ve hit my head when I got back up.”

Castiel frowned, he wasn’t buying it. “Your head seems to be just fine. Did you eat enough? Drink enough? Does this have anything to do with your medication?”

So he _had_ touched his meds.

“Hey man, _not_ cool!” Dean said curtly. “I may have forgotten to eat today. Just had an energy bar in the morning.” He sighed. “Sam’s gonna kill me.”

“Okay, you stay here. I’m gonna get you a glass of water and make you something to eat.”

“Hold on a second that’s not gonna-” Dean sat up to protest but his head started to spin again and he had to lie back down.

Castiel chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. What about an early dinner? You can eat an apple while I prepare it.”

Dean just processed that information for a moment and the outcome was just _weird._ “I’m sorry, top chef, but I didn’t ask for this. I can take care of myself. I’ll fix that boiler, you can go now.”

Castiel turned around and looked at Dean. “You assume that because I’m not good at fixing boilers I can’t cook? Well, you’re in for a surprise. And I _did_ fix the boiler, by the way. It just had to be plugged in. It’s working now.” He said with a smirk and opened the fridge.

“Only because I told you it was unplugged. And get your face out of that fridge! You are _not_ cooking for me! _Please_ leave me alone and just go home!”

“Dean, you are not well. I was supposed to fix the boiler, I had no idea how to that. Practically you did all the work and then you fainted, because you didn’t eat enough. I don’t have anywhere else to be and I don’t have any friends. And believe it or not, I’m a decent cook.” Castiel said calmly. And _why_ in the _everloving fuck_ was Castiel pulling off _the sad puppy?!_

That was a move only Sam knew how to use. He’s seen a lot of them, good ones and bad ones but so far only Sam knew how to pull it off… So far until now. It must’ve been the eyes, Dean didn’t like to admit it, but those eyes… They were just so gorgeous and he shouldn’t really be surprised.

But Dean didn’t drive all that way to make new friends. Whoever got too close to him would get hurt one way or another. He was _dying_ . He had seen what it was doing to his family, the toll it was taking on Sammy. He tried so hard to stay strong but on the inside he was slowly falling apart. And Jessica too. _That’s_ why Dean went away; to give them a break. To give them some breathing space and prepare for when the baby comes. Life is more important than death, always has been, always will be.

But then Dean looked at those blue eyes again. So crystal clear, so honest and pure…

“Fine.” Dean sighed. “But just for today, after this I want to be alone. Understood?”

Castiel smirked. “Yes Sir!” He chuckled and gave Dean a mock salute before turning to the fridge again.

Dean already regretted not just locking this weirdo outside, but what could he do? He was still feeling a bit woozy from earlier and honestly, this ‘weirdo’ was actually pretty cute. And as long as he kept his back pointed towards Dean, the view wasn’t that bad either.

Castiel tried to make small talk while Dean was slowly eating his apple, trying to figure out where he came from, what he did for a living and why he was here…

“Why do you wanna know that?” Dean mumbled between bites.

Castiel shrugged while he chopped up some ingredients. “Just trying to make conversation, you’re not hiding from the police, are you?”

“If I was, do you think I’d tell _you?_ ” Dean chuckled.

“Point made. So I’m guessing you’re here for… a time out? Just get away from the grind of life?”

Dean nodded. “You could say that?”

“Rough breakup, huh?”

“What?!” Dean exclaimed and laughed. “Hell no! No, I’ve been single for quite some time. I’d rather keep it that way as well.”

Castiel nodded. “Loving the bachelor life?”

“You could say that. What about you? Why is a guy like you not living in the big city?”

Castiel shrugged. “I have everything I need in Gloucester. I built a life there, I have a good job. Why leave?”

“Fair enough. Whatcha cookin’ anyway? I didn’t even know there were that many spices left in the cupboard.” Dean said as he took another small bite from the apple, ignoring the brown spots that started to appear since he didn’t eat fast enough.

“Well…” Castiel said and turned around with the cutting board. “I couldn’t help but notice the lovely piece of brisket you had in the fridge. Now a slow-cooked stew is gonna take too much time, but I could make you a nice steak with jacket potatoes and carrots.”

“Hey!” Dean said with a pout. “I was gonna use that to make burgers!”

Castiel frowned. “First of all, you’d need a meat grinder, and unless you’ve got one secretly stashed away around here, it’s gonna be pretty much impossible. And second, shame on you! This is a fine piece of brisket and it would be a waste to turn this into something as ordinary as a burger. This is steak material, you’ll thank me later.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “I’m assuming you work in a top notch restaurant then!”

“No, I’m a weatherman for the local news channel.” Castiel said it so dry and as-a-matter-of-fact that Dean couldn’t hold back a snort and nearly choked on his apple.

“What’s so funny?”

Dean shook his head. “Nothing, it’s just… Didn’t think you were the type.”

Castiel sighed and turned back to cooking. “At least the locals appreciate my work.”

Dean bit his lip and carefully got up from the couch, he had been horizontal for long enough. “Hey, I’m sorry. I bet you’re damn good at telling people whether they can wear shorts or not.”

Castiel didn’t turn his head. “I believe you have me confused with a stylist.”

This time Dean _was_ able to hold back his laughter.

“No, I mean-... Never mind. You need any help? I hate seeing you do all the work.”

Finally Castiel looked at him, there was a hint of a smile on his face and for Dean it was enough. “It’s okay, I’ve got this. I don’t like other people in the kitchen when I’m working anyway.”

“You sure know your way around this house, don’t you?” Dean said, trying to keep the conversation going, but Castiel didn’t respond anymore. Dean took the hint and decided to finally unpack his bag.

 

He had only just put away his last couple of shirts and was about to put the new blankets on the bed when there was a knock on the open door.

When Dean turned his head he saw Castiel, already wearing his coat. “Dinner’s ready. I set the table for you. The leftover food is in separate containers in the fridge, so it doesn’t get all soggy. I’m pretty sure it’ll be enough food for two more days.”

“Y-you’re not staying?” Dean asked, he was surprised at his own disappointment. But it was actually quite nice to have someone around and Castiel was a very nice guy and- “Don’t you want to stay and join me?”

Castiel shook his head. “No, I have work to attend to. But it was nice meeting you, Dean. I wrote my number down, the note is on the coffee table, so you can call me if you need anything else.”

Dean was about to throw Castiel a suggestive smirk and ask him if he wanted his own number in return, but then he remembered that Gabriel asked Castiel to leave him his number. So he just smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Cas.”

Castiel visibly tensed up a little at that nickname, but soon relaxed and smiled back at Dean. “You’re very welcome, Dean.” He said and pulled his tan colored trench coat a bit tighter around him, ready to leave through the front door. “And uh… Don’t wear shorts tomorrow. I’ll see you around.”

At that Dean _did_ laugh, though. “Good evening, Castiel.”

“Bye, Dean.” Castiel said with a smile that crinkled his eyes and showed off his toothpaste-commercial white teeth. And then he left.

Dean could hear the front door click when it shut and that was it.

 

Dean spread the blankets over the bed, put his new, thick pillow in place and walked into the living space. The breakfast bar was perfectly set, the food hot and waiting on a plate. Castiel had even lit a tealight. Just a single tealight, not even in a candle holder. It was just sitting there. Ironically alone.


End file.
